First off, an important update on CROSSTITCH ALPHA THE “7” BOOK ONE: ENVY. Due to the fact one of the crew came down with COVID-19 the entire schedule went to heck. While they’ll be fine, we had to shut down the Kickstarter for now. There was simply no way to fulfill any of our obligations. Hopefully we’ll be back and running again in a few weeks. I’ll keep you posted.

Until then, here’s a fun reminder to wear a freaking mask.

Now, to the fun stuff. Since we chatted last I have been a busy McSciFi. My article about World Building was published by No Wasted Ink. If you ever wanted to learn how to make Toledo interesting, this is the article for you.

My other article, about basic marketing and developing your brand, was published by Writers Co-Op. It’s a whimsical look at common mistakes creatives make when they’re starting out. Or have been making for years and no one sent them a memo. Think of it as my way of putting the fun back in fundamentals. Either way, it’s helpful.

Something else that’s helpful was finding out about a third of you can not see embedded videos. All you see is an ugly X which is not useful. However, also learning links posed no problems at all means I’ll quit trying to be so darn fancy and just use links from now on.

And this is good knowledge to have today as I spent last weekend at The Book Fest on a variety of video panels and events.

First up, on Saturday, the lovely and talented A.G. Billig took time out of her busy day to interview me, and the results were just AWE-SUM! All you have to do is CLICK HERE for fifteen minutes of your life you won’t want back.

Then, on Sunday, I headed up a panel on world building with the delightful title “The World Sucks, Let’s Build a New One – Imagining Tomorrow’s World Today.” All you have to do is CLICK HERE to enjoy the international panel of authors pretending to think I know something. Actually, in all honesty, it was  a great panel. We covered some serious ground and had tons of fun.

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!

Did you ever wonder what would happen if I was suffering writer’s block, binging on some Archie cartoons, and suddenly was struck by my muse?

No?

That’s okay, you’re going to find out anyway. 

I ended up writing a fun missive entitled FUN TIMES AT THE APOCALYPSE A GO-GO.  Which I desperately wanted to keep unsullied by commercial sale until it could appear in my collection of shorts I’ve been working on. In a stunning example of first world author problems, two hours after I’d announced it existed it was bought by Sci-Fi Lampoon Magazine. 

Since I’ve piqued your interest, you should CLICK HERE to watch me read an excerpt. One gentle caveat, since my muse is snarky, it’s NSFW as hell. 

More below.



Another quick reminder that each of these titles has new issues in the works. Click on any link to wallow in the awesomeness of it all.

LEGENDS PARALLEL
Hadithi Sambamba Comix
A man, his mom, and her lover have to save the multiverse. No one said this shit would be easy. The perfect series for those who think quantum physics isn’t sexy, or violent, enough. One story, five Earths, twelve issues. Art by Leslie Tejlor.

HYBRID ZERO: JUGGERNAUT
Dr. Strangefate Publishing /Hadithi Sambamba Comix
Set in the distant future, Hybrid Zero is the story of a human/alien fusion and her strange family. They live in an era where sexuality, in all its joyful panoply, is lauded and violence is taboo. This group of aristocratic soldiers must face down their own petty, in the grand scheme of things, problems and stop a trans-dimensional creature before it destroys the universe. Or not. You know how things can get sometimes.

HYBRID ZERO: JUNGLE GRRL
Dr. Strangefate Publishing / Hadithi Sambamba Comix
In a far future the universe has taken many unusual turns. Genetic manipulation has led to many unforeseen consequences. One is, after Earth had been destroyed, a group of rich investors rebuilt it to be an amusement park like nothing you’ve ever seen. Complete with sex forests and dino clones. 

HYBRID ZERO: CASSANDRA AND THE CHANGELING SWORD
Dr. Strangefate Publishing / Hadithi Sambamba Comix
She’s a ninety-six year old dead chick whose spirit is in a new dimension where she’s now a young woman with mystical powers who lives with a chain smoking, hard drinking, MIT educated, prostitute who’s also a master craftsperson who creates all sorts of wonderful things to help keep Cassandra alive. Or whatever it is she is. 

RUH ROH RANGERS
Hadithi Sambamba Comix
Those meddlesome kids are all grown up. A savage satire featuring the work of the 2019 Glyph Nominated artist, Maku Tellez, this is the comic that will ruin your childhood and make your day. Scooby Dooby Don’t!

SVAROZIC
Hadithi Sambamba Comix
A woman trapped inside a man, a god trapped inside a human. Part of the Independent Creators Connection (ICC) ring anthology. Each character, created by different artists, has an elemental force controlled by a ring. They will try to stay alive as a dark menace hunts them down and tries and steal their powers. Art by SBRii a/k/a ghoulbeanz..

THE EDGAR ALLAN POE CHRONICLES
Dren Productions, LLC
My take on The Oval Portrait has been included in a collection of sci-fi reimaginings of the works of Edgar Allan Poe featuring graphic artists who’ve worked on comics for Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man and many more. It’s a really cool project and I’m honored to be a part of it.

More below.



On a final note, while it was The Brittle Riders which earned me a seat at the LA based events I’ve digitally attended this year, it was SPLICE: HIT BIT TECHNOLOGY that caused the most, positive, gossip. And, let’s be frank, if you’re at an event where some of the authors have sold millions of books, and people are still talking about you, you’re doing something right.

If you haven’t already, click the titles to get your copies today.

Until next week stay safe, sane, and inside.

Hi Everyone.

Today I’m going to breeze through all the fun ways you can support me, get cool stuff, or just ogle the awesomeness of everything. 

First up, the Kickstarter for CROSSTITCH ALPHA: THE “7” BOOK ONE: ENVY is live and looking for love. Just a reminder, with Kickstarters you do not pay a penny unless, and until, the project is fully funded. So go ahead, take a risk, have some fun, and make a pledge for, the completely safe for kids, CROSSTITCH ALPHA: THE “7” BOOK ONE: ENVY without worries.

Envy is the first story in the New Wave Comics’ series, The Seven Deadly Sins a/k/a THE “7.” I will be writing all of them so please join in the fun. 

All you need to do is CLICK HERE to get started.

More below.




If, however, you’re looking for something a little more mature, and slightly less spiritual, I’ve got you covered. Cyril Brown, the creator of the Hybrid Zero multiverse, has added a store where you can purchase a plethora of original, and eye popping, comics and posters. 

Just CLICK HERE to revel in the majesty of his imagination.

Just to cue you in, Cyril’s art tends towards the NSFW side of things so you may not want to pop that link while you’re sharing your screen with your boss or something like that.

You’ll be pleased to learn that Cyril has an industrial printer, and custom packaging, so you can request any item to be autographed at no additional cost. 

Go ahead and BUY NOW!

More below.




Last, but far from least, I will be appearing at The Book Fest this weekend along with Jonathan Maberry, Raye Mitchell Esq., Ora Nadrich, Danny Trejo, Sara Winokur and many others. The whole she-bang is presented by The Greater Los Angeles Writers Society and The Writers of the Future Contest.

This event is completely free, you just need to sign up.

On Saturday, October 24, I’ll be live and answering questions about multiverse theories, or anything else that has your attention, at 6 PM (CDT). 

When I’m not there in person, I’ll be there in spirit, and you can watch a video of me reading, my original horror short, FUN TIMES AT THE APOCALYPSE A GO-GO. Funny note about that; I wrote it to be an unreleased showcase piece in my book of short stories, Stuff About Things. Two hours after I’d announced it existed, it got bought by Sci-Fi Lampoon magazine. Yeah, I know, first world problems and all that. This will be my third appearance in that revered tome.

Anyway, since there’s no such thing as too much McSciFi, I’ll also be leading the whimsically entitled panel The World Sucks, Let’s Build a New One – Imagining Tomorrow’s World Today which features some amazing authors from all over the world. The panel goes live at 4:45 PM (CDT), on October 25th, will last about an hour. 

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An irreverent take on the traditional world-building panel with an array of writers who imagine the fictional worlds we love to read about. From dystopian to science fiction and steampunk to fantasy, step into a speculative odyssey as they discuss the endless possibilities that we might face because of Covid, racial tensions, advancing technology, political divides, and of course, murder hornets. 

• Kevin Groh, Author of The Omni Legend Series with the first book, The Commander: Guardian of Utopia, releasing in the United States in English in early 2021.
  
  
• Laurel Anne Hill, Author of two award-winning novels: The Engine Woman’s Light and Heroes Arise.
  
  
• Edgar Scott, Economist turned computer scientist, futurist, and author of the forthcoming 418.
  
  
• Lon Varnadore, Author of Junker Blues, Mostly Human, and other sci-fi and fantasy fiction.
  
  
• Moderator: Bill McCormick, Creator of multiple universes including those in his novels, Splice: Hit Bit Technology and The Brittle Riders Trilogy. 

Until next week, stay safe, sane, and inside.

Hi Jerry & Anne!

Last week’s shout out was to the four wonderful women, with the same name, who’d joined our party. It was lovely each thought they were special. And they are. This week’s is for my future in-laws who took Kim and I out for a belated birthday lunch. We had a wonderful time but it became obvious I wasn’t being clear in my newsletters. The upcoming comics kind of blurred. So I’ll calm down, a little, and focus on one title at a time. 

One cool thing is that several of my upcoming releases are aimed squarely at younger audiences. And, given that I teach Sunday School, it’ll be nice to have something the kids can read without giving coronaries to their parents.

Here is the complete press release for the first one in line, CROSSTITCH ALPHA “THE 7” Book One: Envy.

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New Wave Comics is proud to announce the October 15th, 2020 Kickstarter for their newest Majestic Studios release, CROSSTITCH ALPHA “THE 7.” This will be the debut of a seven-issue limited series. Book One: Envy was conceived by Clayton James, written by Bill “McSciFi” McCormick, and features art by David Jaxon.

Clayton James began New Wave Comics, while still in college, in 1992. He, along with art director Patrick Robinson, began publishing spiritual comics having, at one point, twenty different creators contracted to them. Though the company eventually shuttered, there was continued interest in the titles. In 2017 Patrick suggested releasing a 25^th Anniversary title, and New Wave was back in business. Their first new release, Terran Command Garrison, debuted at the Las Vegas Unicon in 2019.

Bill “McSciFi” McCormick is an internationally renowned author who currently has four novels published, writes for seven different comic book series, and serves as the assistant editor for ICC Magazine. While his usual work skews to a more mature audience, he has worked with young adult concepts before and was excited to be a part of this. McCormick, a Sunday School teacher, will be bringing a progressive Christian take on the ubiquitous seven deadly sins. The series will be aimed at the young adult market and will be supported by magazine ads in relevant publications. Now he’ll have something he can show his students.

David Jaxon, a/k/a The So Pro Artist, has done everything from XCT’s playing cards to comics. He worked on issues 1-4 of They Call Him Marvelous (JJ Comics), Triumphant, Armed & Danger’Russ, and Wandering Monkey (15 Year Comics), XOB (Taurus Comics), and card art for Multiverse Infinity Wars. David’s bright colors and solid lines will make this comic gorgeous to look at as well as fun to read.

Each of the seven deadly sins will have their own hero, distinct villain, and be set in different parts of the world. Book One: Envy is set in the Midwest amid corrupt teen beauty pageants. A fashion mogul named Mz. Thomas is no longer content to be rich and wants to be the envy of the world. Her desires draw the attention of the demon Leviathan, which sets off the rest of the story.

More below.



One of the fun things about being a writer is world building. Whether a dystopian hell-scape like the one in The Brittle Riders, or the near future thrill ride like SPLICE: HIT BIT TECHNOLOGIES,I have to sit down and figure out what fits where and, most importantly, how.  And, much to my pleasure, those efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. It earned me a mention on Science Fantasy Hub, was part of the fun at CRoM last week, and has earned me a chair at the big kids’ table at the upcoming LA Book Fest on October 24th and 25th. 

I will be hosting a panel, featuring several best selling authors, entitled The World Sucks, Let’s Build a New One – Imagining Tomorrow’s World Today. Also, just for the kids, I’m doing a reading from FUN TIMES AT THE APOCALYPSE A GO-GO, a horror short I wrote that I’m trying not to sell. It’s not as crazy as it sounds. I need some unique content for my short story collection, STUFF ABOUT THINGS, so people aren’t paying only for stuff they’ve read numerous times.

By the way, I’m kidding about it being for kids. It’s wildly profane and features some intensely graphic violence. Think ‘using a cheese grater to skin a person’ kind of violent. So, yeah, not for kids. It’s also brutally funny. 

Besides my ugly mug, they will also have  Jonathan Maberry, Raye Mitchell Esq., Ora Nadrich, Danny Trejo, Sara Winokur and many others. The fest is presented by The Greater Los Angeles Writers Society and The Writers of the Future Contest.

More below.



In some exciting news, Hadithi Sambamba is getting into the distribution business. For now they will only be pushing titles they own but that could change in the future. They were recently given access to over three hundred comic book stores that carry indie titles and it seemed a terrible waste not to say hello and introduce them to the roster.. 

The first round of promotions will feature two of your favorites, Hybrid Zero and Legends Parallel. The two, Rated “M” for Mature, multiverses have exactly the kind of content stores crave. From beautifully crafted graphic novels to a wide variety of gear to custom promotional items, upon request, they are primed to take advantage of any and all opportunities. 

So, cross your fingers, toes, or anything else you can think of, and wish us all luck.

Until next week, stay safe, sane, and inside.

Before I begin, I’d like to ask you to send a prayer out to, my long time friend and occasional business partner, Marcelino Ramos. He passed away due to COVID-19 last Saturday. He also introduced Chicago to salsa music, me to Tito Puente, Jr, and the world to happiness. Even if you don’t speak a lick of Spanish, check out this music video we produced for Lefty Perez to get an idea of what “unbridled joy” sounds like.

Moving on.

I know a lot of you have been banging your hairy paws against your keyboards demanding, in stern tones, that I appear in public via the interwebs again. Your demands are my desires. Sunday, October 4, at noon CDT, I’ll be appearing at CRoM Con 7. This will be a two day gathering of some of the best indie creators, and cosplayers – including our fan and friend Cara Nicole a/k/a AZ Powergirl, from all over the world.

And me. I’ll be there too. It’s kind of why I’m telling you about it.

In fact, in a fun change of pace, I will be flying solo for half an hour. In other words, I’m all yours baby!

You can interact and make fun of my pandemic hair.

Everyone else does so you don’t want to be left out. 

More below.

Apropos of nothing, after CRoM Con I’ll be teaching Sunday School again. Life does go on.

And, since we’re talking about kids, or I am so just go with it, I’ve got two new comics coming out aimed at tweens and teens. The first, with the working title Marcie’s Marvels, is a series dedicated to the memory of a young girl who was raped, and then killed herself. Created by her mother it’s all about lifting young women up and showing them there are alternatives. There are ways to survive. The first issue is written and is now in the hands of David Novum Hutujulu for the creation of the art. I’ve  worked with David before on commission work and it’s a pleasure to finally have something commercial I can share. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes with this one, so keep your eyes open as things develop.

The second, with the unwieldy, but fun, title CROSSTITCH ALPHA “THE 7” Book 1: Envy, is coming out on New Wave Comics. Just CLICK HERE to read the amazing press release and bask in the awesomeness of it all. There’s a Kickstarter coming October 15, and I have to admit this is one project that fell in my lap that makes me stupidly happy. I get to put my spin on the seven deadly sins. And, because I’m me, I bring along demons, monsters, and morality tales. It’s a total thrill ride. 

More below.

One cool thing about being an indie author is you get to watch things grow. No one ships a million copies of anything I write. Not yet anyways. I have to sell books one at a time. SPLICE: HIT BIT TECHNOLOGY started out as a digital only release, then paperback, then got picked up by Barnes and Noble, and is now on its way to more brick and mortar stores in the U.S.

One fun part of  this journey has been seeing the fun promo items created by Watch Dog Entertainment. They’re designed to give people an idea what the characters look like, and a basic feel for the book. Since they’re mostly used in business to business communications, you might have missed them. I’ll share a couple here so you can get in on the fun.

Until next week, please stay safe, sane, and inside.

Last Saturday I was forced to admit there are more good days behind me than ahead. I turned fifty-nine. That said, thanks to Kim and her family, I had the nicest birthday I’ve had in decades. While most people have birthday memories which feature thoughts like “I saw a pretty balloon” mine tend to be more akin to “Drunken biker pulled gun.” I liked this year’s version much better.

Moving on, as many of you know I teach Sunday school, and the occasional adult ed class, at church. What you may not know is that I’m a huge fan of the New Testament. Give me the Gospel of Mark, add in the pointed humor of Beatitudes, and I’m a happy guy. So, naturally, when I get selected to lead a class I’m assigned, without fail, Genesis. Which is the antithesis of the New Testament. 

You can imagine my joy when New Wave Comics asked me to pen a series of Christian comic books for tweens and teens. I wrote the first one, a look at how envy can destroy people, made sure to include giant monster’s, clear morals, and a fun swipe at beauty pageants. 

I bet you know what’s coming.

The publisher reached out to me and asked for an origin story, Genesis 3 I guess, so the uninitiated would understand the back story. To make it fit the story I’d written I mixed parts of Genesis 1 and 2, ladled in some Dante, and added celestial flowers since I think they’re pretty. Don’t judge me.

Nevertheless, the resulting comic, CROSSTITCH: ALPHA (Envy) is in the hands of an artist, and will be coming to a Kickstarter near you on October 15th. The publisher is assembling a platter full of perks that backers, like you, can earn when they join the fun. 

I’ll keep you updated as things progress, but I’d be a bad McSciFi if I didn’t give you a tease.

More below.



I was chatting with an Instagram buddy two days ago and he mentioned how much he’d enjoyed reading SPLICE: HIT BIT TECHNOLOGY. That was great to hear, but confusing as well. You see, he lives in Chennai, which is in India, and we don’t have distribution there. 

Or so we thought.

Apparently, as my minimal fame inexorably grows, Amazon has opened up my author’s page in every country so people can buy anything I’ve written that they carry, That last part is key. Due to cost restrictions we don’t use Amazon for comics. There are a couple of early iterations of Legends Parallel there that you can get cheaper, shipping included, just by CLICKING HERE and making me walk to the post office. Also, to be blunt, our private printer produces a superior product. 

Still, if you’re in India and want to burn through some of those rupees you’ve been saving for a rainy day, just  CLICK HERE and have fun. You can get the KDP version of SPLICE for a mere ₹ 449.00. Also, just like in America, you can order hard copies, of some titles, if you wish. For example, for a paltry ₹ 1,413.00 you can have The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: The classic tale and an anthology of twists, retellings, and sequels. which  is an amazing anthology.

Circling back, this weekend I got to meet two new fans who enjoyed SPLICE immensely. They were even nice enough to demand that I autograph their copy.

More below.

While I’m beyond thrilled to be writing a couple of comics for younger readers, with Bob: Sins of the Son also in the works, I’m not abandoning my brain bending, more mature, titles. Just click on any link to wallow in the awesomeness of it all.

LEGENDS PARALLEL
Hadithi Sambamba Comix
A man, his mom, and her lover have to save the multiverse. No one said this shit would be easy. The perfect series for those who think quantum physics isn’t sexy, or violent, enough. One story, five Earths, twelve issues. Art by Leslie Tejlor.

HYBRID ZERO: JUGGERNAUT
Dr. Strangefate Publishing /Hadithi Sambamba Comix
Set in the distant future, Hybrid Zero is the story of a human/alien fusion and her strange family. They live in an era where sexuality, in all its joyful panoply, is lauded and violence is taboo. This group of aristocratic soldiers must face down their own petty, in the grand scheme of things, problems and stop a trans-dimensional creature before it destroys the universe. Or not. You know how things can get sometimes.

HYBRID ZERO: JUNGLE GRRL
Dr. Strangefate Publishing / Hadithi Sambamba Comix
In a far future the universe has taken many unusual turns. Genetic manipulation has led to many unforeseen consequences. One is, after Earth had been destroyed, a group of rich investors rebuilt it to be an amusement park like nothing you’ve ever seen. Complete with sex forests and dino clones. 

HYBRID ZERO: CASSANDRA AND THE CHANGELING SWORD
Dr. Strangefate Publishing / Hadithi Sambamba Comix
She’s a ninety-six year old dead chick whose spirit is in a new dimension where she’s now a young woman with mystical powers who lives with a chain smoking, hard drinking, MIT educated, prostitute who’s also a master craftsperson who creates all sorts of wonderful things to help keep Cassandra alive. Or whatever it is she is. 

RUH ROH RANGERS
Hadithi Sambamba Comix
Those meddlesome kids are all grown up. A savage satire featuring the work of the 2019 Glyph Nominated artist, Maku Tellez, this is the comic that will ruin your childhood and make your day. Scooby Dooby Don’t!

SVAROZIC
Hadithi Sambamba Comix
A woman trapped inside a man, a god trapped inside a human. Part of the Independent Creators Connection (ICC) ring anthology. Each character, created by different artists, has an elemental force controlled by a ring. They will try to stay alive as a dark menace hunts them down and tries and steal their powers. Art by SBRii.

THE EDGAR ALLAN POE CHRONICLES
Dren Productions, LLC
My take on The Oval Portrait has been included in a collection of sci-fi reimaginings of the works of Edgar Allan Poe featuring graphic artists who’ve worked on comics for Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man and many more. It’s a really cool project and I’m honored to be a part of it.

Until next week, stay safe, sane and inside.

Good Morning!

First and foremost, a giant round of applause to all you maniacs who subscribed to my YouTube channel. It is now, officially,  YouTube.com/BillMcSciFi. And, as I promised, I have been updating it every Thursday by adding videos of me reading selections from my writing. This is as exciting as it sounds. Yet, since I keep things short, it seems to be garnering me new fans. 

Speaking of new fans, I got one this week who shared his thoughts about SPLICE: HIT BIT TECHNOLOGY. I’ll post his review below but, suffice it to say, he liked it. More importantly, as a former Captain in the United States Army, he thought the military life rang true. Since that’s almost half the book, it’s kind of important. I also got a review from another author, whose publisher refuses to let me use their name, that had me laughing. So I’ll post their comments, without attribution but with the author’s permission, below the review.

All in all, people seem to like SPLICE: HIT BIT TECHNOLOGY. That’s always a good thing.
CLICK HERE to buy the Kindle. CLICK HERE to get the paperback. CLICK HERE to send me stories about your pets. 

More below.




In the famous words of Dr. Johnny Fever, “Rocktober’s gonna rock, fellow babies!” I will be appearing at CRoM Con VII and LA Book Fest. Both are digital events but both have thousands of virtual attendees. When I did the last book fest I got over a thousand new subscribers to this e-blast. That led to many of them checking out my FREE STUFF which eventually led to some of them BUYING my stuff. 

This is all part of my evil plan for world domination so I’m well pleased.

Now, on to the more immediate issue. A couple of people have asked if I will sit for a ZOOM interview, or something similar. Quite honestly, with all the cons I’ve lost this year, I’d show up for an envelope opening. So, yeah. All you have to do is ask. Just CLICK HERE to reach out and we can hammer out the deets.

More below.



Before I go, allow me to join the Greek Chorus of humans who hate the new Facebook. It debuted in 2004 and now it looks like it’s sixteen years behind the times. That’s not a good thing. But since I’m part of the commodity they market, and not the sales team, no one asked me.

Still, on the plus side, I will have new comics coming out before the end of the year, Goptri of the Mists, the long anticipated prequel/sequel to The Brittle Riders is coming out, and I have a few short stories which will soon see the light of day. 

In other words, not everything sucks.

Until next week, stay safe, sane, and inside.